Transport and Traffic SPC

antoinolachtnai

The other problem is if you want to get from (say) Merrion Square to Thomas St. Thomas St. has a good few businesses you need to drive to, such as tiles, paints, hardware and so on.

Now, I don't mean to sound like a complainer. If driving a few extra blocks will do anything to reduce the congestion, that's fair enough. But it's hard to understand what the logic of this is. Is there any evidence or other supporting material that explains more about this decision?

Also, were the traffic light timings modified at College Green to reflect the reduced traffic flows? It makes sense that they would have been, if the flow from college st. onto College Green was reduced to make way for more southbound traffic. But I can't say I noticed any difference (though I could be wrong).

Finally, if this restriction is such a good idea, why was it removed for the pre-Christmas period?

Antoin.

Victor

Originally posted by antoinolachtnai
The other problem is if you want to get from (say) Merrion Square to Thomas St. Thomas St. has a good few businesses you need to drive to, such as tiles, paints, hardware and so on.

Such a journey would be much quicker / less congested if you went via Stephen's Green and Kevein Street.

Originally posted by antoinolachtnai
Also, were the traffic light timings modified at College Green to reflect the reduced traffic flows? It makes sense that they would have been, if the flow from college st. onto College Green was reduced to make way for more southbound traffic. But I can't say I noticed any difference (though I could be wrong).

I don't know, I imagine those sets of lights are under continuous review from Traffic Control, certainly there has been less backed-up southbound traffic from D'Olier Street to College Street.

Originally posted by vinnyfitz
Well - those approaching the south city centre from the South East e.g. Dun Laoghaire. If you now want to approach any of the city centre car parks - Trinity St, Clarendon St, Temple Bar, - you have to engage in a congestion inducing loop down Tara back up D'Olier, Colege etc to do this. I understand the pedestrian issue but this road closure strikes me as the wrong solution...

Access traffic is excepted from the restriction, I don't know what is considered "access traffic". I don't think it's necessarily a "congestion inducing loop" as it permits a better flow of traffic.

robbie1876

Victor,

Getting back to the original topic of looking for Road Management issues for the City Council to enforce, here's something possibly for the next meeting.

Traffic should only be allowed to park on the side of road facing in the direction in which the traffic is flowing. For example, coming down Georges Street towards Dame Street, there are a couple of loading bays on the opposite side of the road (outside Dunnes etc). What happens there is cars and in particualr vans swing across the road into the oncoming lane to enter the loading bay. On exiting the bay, they must pull into oncoming traffic and navigate across back to the other side of the road.

I've done this a couple of times myself in my van and there is major visibility problems for me pulling back into the traffic. In fact I can't see traffic behind me at all because of the angle I'm at coming back across the road. So I have to nudge my way in and basically hope that someone stops, cos I can't see them!

Our streets are particularly narrow, this seems like a logical step, and is easily enforced by Garda on foot etc. As far as I know they have this rule in parts of Europe, Sweden definitely.

sceptre

Originally posted by robbie1876
Traffic should only be allowed to park on the side of road facing in the direction in which the traffic is flowing.

I'd like to see this introduced. All around the country as a matter of fact - in periods of busy traffic the car emerging after parking like this can be a dangerous menace.

Victor

It actually is illegal already at night (no red reflectors on front of vehicle and headlight aim left into traffic). A "simple" change to the Rules of the Road would help.

antoinolachtnai

Another issue: the road layout at Charlemont Bridge, Charlemont St and Ranelagh Rd. The layout here is very odd since it was changed a few years ago. It woud be far better to simplify it to two lanes northward through the junction (including a buslane) and one lane southward.

Of course there could be some rationale for the current layout that I don't know about.

Victor

Originally posted by antoinolachtnai
Another issue: the road layout at Charlemont Bridge, Charlemont St and Ranelagh Rd. The layout here is very odd since it was changed a few years ago. It woud be far better to simplify it to two lanes northward through the junction (including a buslane) and one lane southward.

The layout is to maximise throughflow at the junction

Sarsfield

I have no evidence, other than my own observation, to back this up, but better maintained road markings would make a big difference.

I notice that drivers are far more inclined to observe a yellow box, for example, if it is recently painted and clearly visible. Ditto lane markings. 2 clearly marked lanes usually results in 2 neat lines of traffic. Poorly marked lanes usually results in many drivers occupying enough of the adjacent lane to effectively turn the road in to single lane traffic.

antoinolachtnai

A lot of problems in Dublin result from poor maintenance.

The colour disc on the traffic light across the road from where I live has been broken for a week for instance.

Signs and lights are often left pointing the wrong way for weeks on end.

Signposting is non-existent, poor, or badly maintained. For example, the sign near Kilmainham which is supposed to direct you onto the Lucan road but has been obscured from view for several years, or the orbital signs which obscure the view of existing road signs.

None of these things is a big deal in itself, but taken together they make driving around Dublin an even harder job than it needs to be.

Victor

Originally posted by antoinolachtnai
The colour disc on the traffic light across the road from where I live has been broken for a week for instance.

Can you report this to traffic control at 1800 29 39 49?

antoinolachtnai

Alrighty, I reported it last time (was a lot more satisfactory than the last time I tried to report a fault although it was engaged the first time). Let's see how long it takes to fix!

cyclopath2001

Anyone know why Dublin City Council decieded not to renew the the cycle lanes on Annesley Bridge, Fairview after the completion of the bridge maintenance works?

Ditto, why the renewed cycle track at Clontarf is not in compliance with legal standards?

Doodah7

Another issue:- can I ask what &*%$ing genius decided to meddle with Terenure Place and make a single lane with no right turn inbound from Templeogue Road. The delays in the morning are now phenomenal.

The bus takes nearly fifteen minutes to get through one junction!! (Of course the bus lane ends before Terenure so it is stuck like everyone else...)

What was so wrong with the right turn that was there...

joemomma

The point of banning the right turn, as I understand it, was to stop the buses getting stuck behind right-turning traffic. Has this not been effective?

Victor

Originally posted by tallpaul
Another issue:- can I ask what &*%$ing genius decided to meddle with Terenure Place and make a single lane with no right turn inbound from Templeogue Road. The delays in the morning are now phenomenal. The bus takes nearly fifteen minutes to get through one junction!! (Of course the bus lane ends before Terenure so it is stuck like everyone else...) What was so wrong with the right turn that was there...

Previously discussed on I believe the Motors Board. I believe to get that right-turning traffic to make their right turns elsewhere to improve junction capacity. What is the current status of that junction - i saw new white paint there at Christmas. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?postid=844543#post844543

Originally posted by cyclopath2001
Anyone know why Dublin City Council decieded not to renew the the cycle lanes on Annesley Bridge, Fairview after the completion of the bridge maintenance works

I don't know - is all work complete now (I haven't been there in a while).

Originally posted by cyclopath2001
Ditto, why the renewed cycle track at Clontarf is not in compliance with legal standards?

Lazy mother******* in the council. Also I'm not fully sure there are proper "legal standards"

Doodah7

Originally posted by Victor
Previously discussed on I believe the Motors Board. I believe to get that right-turning traffic to make their right turns elsewhere to improve junction capacity. What is the current status of that junction - i saw new white paint there at Christmas. [

To improve junction capacity!!! It has made a complete disaster of it in the mornings. Did well on the bus this morning, was only waiting about eight minutes to get through it...

cyclopath2001

For Cycle Tracks, there are legal standards, laid down in the Road Traffic Acts and related statutory instruments. They stipulate minimum widths, road signs and road-markings.

The laws also provide abundant exceptions to facilitate use of cycle tracks for car parking.

While the law is clear about how a track should be marked, it is less assertive about how good the function should be.